Franking machine with a letter feeding and a tape feeding device

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for franking includes a franking machine, a device for feeding pieces of mail to the franking machine, and a tape feeding device for feeding tapes to the franking machine. The letter feeding device and tape feeding device are combined into a self-contained, structural unit in which there is arranged a common electromechanical drive means for operating the letter feeding device and said tape feeding device.

United States Patent 1191 Kunisch Dec. 17, 1974 FRANKING MACHINE WITH A LETTER 2,377,522 6/1945 Ryan et a1 101/235 FEEDING AND A TAPE FEEDING DEVICE 2,683,413 7/1954 ll/luller .1 101/235 3,359,896 12/1967 Liebbrand 156/578 [75] Inventor: Alfred Kunisch, Berlin, Germany 2,678,748 5/1954 McCain et al.. 156/257 Assignee: Francotyk GmbH, Berlin Germany 1,363,065 12/1920 Thacker 156/578 2 'l d: l [2 1 Fl 6 Apr 1973 Primary ExaminerDouglas J. Drummond [21] App]. No.: 352,129 Assistant Examiner-J. Gallagher Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Herbert L. Lerner [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Apr. 20, 1972 Germany 2219270 [57] A S R CT [52] [1.8. CI. l56/442.2, 101/232, 156/442.2, Apparatus for flanking includes a flanking machine a 51 I Cl 33 device for feeding pieces of mail to the franking ma- 3m ch ne" n a ape e ing i e or e d g pe t 1e d6o earc 5 /4 2.2, 517, 521, 539, the franking machine. The letter feeding device and 15 I538 9g f tape feeding device are combined into a self- 71/2 308/3 A contained, structural unit in which there is arranged a 56 R f common electromechanical drive means for operating 1 e erences cued the letter feeding device andsaid tape feeding device.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,411,443 11/1968 Buckholz 101/232 9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEB DEB] H97 SHEET 3 BF 3 FRANKING MACHINE WITH A LETTER FEEDING AND A TAPE FEEDING DEVICE SPECIFICATION This invention relates to a franking machine operable with a letter feeding device and a tape feeding device which are driven by an electric motor.

In German published, non-prosecuted, application, DOS 1,449,056 there is described an automatic letter feeding device cooperating with a franking machine. The automatic letter feeding device is connected or coupled with the franking machine by means of a detent device and a detachable mechanical switching device. If letters or post cards are fed in manually, the connection between the automatic letter feeding device and the franking machine must be uncoupled or disconnected and the automatic letter feeding device must be put aside orput in a storage place which does not interfere with the manual feeding operation.

If the adhesive or gummed tape is to be printed with such a franking machine, which is required for franking bulky pieces of mail, a tape feeding device of known design must be connected to the franking machine. This tape feeding device must also be removed or disconnected from the franking machine when switching to another type of franking operation. Because of the considerable weight of these devices, these operations are burdensome and cannot be carried out by just anybody.

An important disadvantage of these known devices is also seen in the fact that the letter feeding devices and the tape feeding devices are designed as independent pieces of equipment and as a general rule are equipped with separate electric motor drive mechanisms.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to combine a letter feeding device with a tape feeding device and to provide them with a common drive arrangement.

According to the present invention, a franking machine includes a letter feeding and a tape feeding device which are driven by an electric motor with the arrangement being characterized by the feature that the letter feeding device and the tape feeding device are combined in a self-contained, assembled unit with which a common electric motor-driven drive arrangement is associated.

The coupling of the letterfeeding device and the tape feeding device results in substantial savings of material and machiningand in addition, the operation is simplified.

A characteristic feature of the present invention consists in providing that the structurally coupled letter feeding and tape feeding devices are arranged to be movable transversely to the entrance slot of the franking machine. Also a linear guide provided with stops, is associated with the apparatus-t assure reliable positioning of the letter and tape feeding devices in their respective operating position.

A further advantage of the present invention resides in the fact that in a first position of the letter and tape feedingdevice, in which adhesive tape is fed into the franking machine, letters, flat packages and the like can also be fed in manually for franking without any rearrangement of the apparatus while the other position of the letter and tape feeding device is reserved for the automatic feeding of letters.

The shifting of the assembled unit is facilitated by providing rollers which are optionally supported on tracks or the like.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described in v relationship to specific embodiments, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a franking machine with an automatic letter and tape feeding device shown in a first operating position.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the franking machine shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the franking machine shown in FIGS. I and 2 but with the automatic letter and tape feeding shown in a-second operating machine.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a

franking machine I of known design comprising,

among other things, a setting arrangement 2 including several amount-setting levers 3, indicator windows 4, a counter 5, a feeding arrangement 8 having a subdivided feed roller 6, a spring-loaded pressure roller'7 FIG. 2,

and an adjustable .plate cylinder 10 which cooperates with a spring-loaded pressurecylinder 9. The plate cylinder l0 and the feed roller 6'are driven via a clutch by an electric gear motor (not shown). If a letter or the like is fed into the franking machine I, a feeler lever (not shown):engages the clutch in a manner known, per se, to effect a printing operation. At the left-hand wall 11 of the housing of the franking machine 1, there is attached a fork-shaped linear guide 12 which consists of two angles having guide slots in which there is slidably disposed a rod 13 which is firmly connected with holders I4.

One of the holders 14 is rigidly fastened to the front wall of an automatic letter feeding device 15 of known design having a feeding arrangement 16 which is partly shown in FIGS. I and 2. A-letter sealing device, 17, also known, per se, having a water tank 18, may be added to the letter feeding device 15 if desired.

To a side wall 19 of the letter feeding device 15, there is bolted a tape feeding device 20 which is more fully described in copending US. patent application to Horst Denzin Ser. No. 352,724, filed Apr. 18, 1973, for Device for Feeding Adhesive Strips to a Fran-king Machine, and assigned to the sarneassignee of this instant application. The tape feeding device 20 comprises a conveyer belt 21 (FIG. 2) which isled over a drive roller 22, a spring-loaded, deflection roller 23, as well as over two further deflection rollers 24, 25. A springloaded pressure roller 26 can'be swung in and out of engagement with the drive roller 22. The duration of engagement of the pressure roller 26 with the drive roller determines the length of the adhesive tape to beadvanced. The feed length is set manually by means of a setting knob 28 with which a scale 29 is associated. The

drive roller 22 which rotates on a shaft 30 is secured to a spur gear 31 which engages a gear 33 whichis freely rotatable on a switching shaft 32 and which is in engagement with a gear 35 fastened on a drive shaft 34. On the drive shaft, there is fastened a pawl coupling 36 of known design. The pawl coupling 36 is driven by a pinion 37 and is engaged and disengaged manually for one-shot or continuous feeding by an adjustment handle 38 attached to the switching shaft 32.

The letter feeding device 15 has a gear box 39 within which there is mounted a gear motor of known design which, by means of a control lever 40 and a clutch (not shown), serves to drive the feeding arrangement 16 or,

via the pinion 37, to drive the tape feeding device 20. a

The automatic letter feeding device 15 (FIG. 3) is associated with an adjustable stop 40 (FIG. 3) as well as with a lateral stop 44 which is movable on guide ribs 41, 42 of a sheet metal cover 43 and which is adjacent to a further hinged sheet metal cover 45. Both sheet metal covers 43 and 45 cover the tape dispenser 20 and terminate with a lower sheet metal feed plate 46 of the franking machine 1 when the letters are fed automatically.

At a part 47 of the housing of the letter feeding device l there is a setting lever 48'which is attached at a shaft 49 and which determines the setting height of the cylinder cooperating with a feed roller 50in a manner known per se. A scale 51 is associated with the setting lever 48 and the height dimensions for the letters and packages to be imprinted are marked on the scale 51. I

At the part 47 of the housing there is further pivoted a spring-loaded pressure roller 52, which acts upon the pieces of mail to be conveyed. A lifting device 54 which can be changed over by means of a pin 53 and whose inclined stop SSlifts the flap of the letter to be transported over the edge 56 of the cover plate 57 of the letter sealing device 17, may be placed in its effective or operating position manually, if necessary. The letter sealing device 17 becomes effective or operable, however, in the starting position of the lifting device 54.

The combined tape feeding device 20 and the letter feeding device has bottom plates 52 to which are attached in a rotatable manner rollers 53, 54 which run advantageously on tracks 58, 59 which are included on a surface 60 ofa work table 61 on which the franking machines 1 is disposed.

As heretofore described, the rod 13 is fastened by means of one of the holders 14 to the front wall of the letter feeding device 15, and the other holder 14 is fastened to the front wall 62, aligned therewith, of the tape feeding device 20. When the letter feeding device 15 and the tape feeding device coupled therewith are moved, the linear guide 12 which is fastened to the franking machine 1 also serves as a stop for the correct positioning to the first operating position for the tape feeding according to FIG. I, and to the second operating position for the automatic letter feeding according to F IG. 3.

In the first operating position adhesive tapes 27 may be fed, but in addition, letters or the like may also be fed in by hand in the direction of the arrow 63 (FIG. 2). An entrance slot 64 on the franking machine 1 is of such dimensions that the adhesive tape 27 can be fed into the franking machine I automatically from the tape feeding device 20 by means of the conveyor belt 21 and also, letters or cards may be fed manually via the cover plate 45.

By coupling the letter feeding device 15 to the tape feeding device 20 there is obtained a self-contained, inexpensive structural unit, in which the number of important parts such as cover plates and side walls can be reduced or used for functions of the one or the other device. The feeding speeds of the letters and the like fed into the automatic letter and tape feeding device 15, 20 are made somewhat smaller than their running speed through the franking machine 1 so that troublefree operation is assured. The letter and tape feeding device 15, 20 can, of course, also be attached on the table surface and the franking machine 1 be moved into the two operating positions, but the embodiment described first is preferred.

The arrangement described above, in which the franking machine 1 is arranged in a fixed position and the letter and tape feeding assembly, including the letter feeding device 15 and tape feeding device 20, can be moved, by the fact that the assembly is supported on the rollers 53, 54, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the franking machine 1 and is held on the track in the process by the linear guide 12 to 14, is suitable for all work tables which have a relatively hard surface. In special tables which serve exclusively for placing thereon the required franking equipment, profiled rollers and profiled tracks, in which the rollers are guided, can be provided, with the franking machine 1 arranged in a fixed position. This makes the linear guide 12 to 14 unnecessary in that the function of the latter is taken over by the profiled tracks.

The angles of the linear guides 12, which are fastened at the franking machine 1, are equipped, as explained hereinbefore, with guiding slots for guiding the rod 13. The guiding slots 65 are open at the top, as will be seen in FIG. 2, so that by lifting the letter and tape feeding device 15, 20, the locked connection with the franking machine 1 can readily be disengaged, thereby providing a beneficial effect in rearranging the machine and in the installation.

I claim:

1. Franking machine of the type alternately printing on letters or tapes having an entrance slot and having a common electromechanical drive for letter-feeding and tape-feeding devices which, depending on the manner of operation, can be moved into the respective operational position, wherein the letter-feeding device and tape-feeding device comprise an independent structural unit, adapted to be shifted relative to the entrance slot of the franking machine.

2. Franking machine according to claim I, wherein the electromechanical drive device can be coupled, by means of a coupling lever, to the feeding device of the letter-feeding apparatus or to the feeding device of the tape-feeding device 3. Franking machine according to claim 2, wherein common metal covers are provided for the letter feeding device and for the tape-feeding device.

4. Franking machine according 2, claim 1, wherein the franking machine and the letter and tape-feeding devices are interconnected by means of adjustable holders.

5. Franking machine according to claim 2, wherein the letter and tape-feeding devices are mounted on track rollers.

the holders are provided with stops for exact positioning of the letter and tape-feeding means, in two operational positions.

9. Franking machine according to claim 4, wherein the holder which couple the letter and tape-feeding device to the franking machine is positioned in an easily detachable manner. 

1. Franking machine of the type alternately printing on letters or tapes having an entrance slot and having a common electromechanical drive for letter-feeding and tape-feeding devices which, depending on the manner of operation, can be moved into the respective operational position, wherein the letterfeeding device and tape-feeding device comprise an independent structural unit, adapted to be shifted relative to the entrance slot of the franking machine.
 2. Franking machine according to claim 1, wherein the electromechanical drive device can be coupled, by means of a coupling lever, to the feeding device of the letter-feeding apparatus or to the feeding device of the tape-feeding device
 3. Franking machine according to claim 2, wherein common metal covers are provided for the letter feeding device and for the tape-feeding device.
 4. Franking machine according 2, claim 1, wherein the franking machine and the letter and tape-feeding devices are interconnected by means of adjustable holders.
 5. Franking machine according to claim 2, wherein the letter and tape-feeding devices are mounted on track rollers.
 6. Franking machine according to claim 5, wherein the rollers are guided on rails and the franking machine is arranged on a stationary table plate which supports said rails.
 7. Franking machine according to claim 2, wherein the letter and tape-feeding means is mounted in stationary relation and the franking machine is mounted in movable relation.
 8. Franking machine according to claim 4, wherein the holders are provided with stops for exact positioning of the letter and tape-feeding means, in two operational positions.
 9. Franking machine according to claim 4, wherein the holder which couple the letter and tape-feeding device to the franking machine is positioned in an easily detachable manner. 